A New Generation of Qualitative Research, Powered by AI

29 April 2026

Qualitative research has always stood out for its ability to reveal what numbers alone cannot: the nuance, context, and deeper meaning behind people’s answers. 

At the same time, it has long been constrained by a familiar limitation: time. 

So what becomes possible when we remove that constraint? 

At Leger, we’re introducing a new approach to qualitative interviews, where AI acts as a powerful partner. 

Going Further, Without Losing Depth

At its core, this approach preserves what makes qualitative research so valuable: real human conversations. What changes is the scale. 

With AI-moderated interviews (AIMI),  it becomes possible to conduct structured conversations with hundreds of participants simultaneously. Guided by researcher-designed frameworks and powered by conversational AI, these interviews retain their rigor while expanding their reach significantly. 

AIMI Platform Prototype

Speed That Makes a Difference

The most immediate change is the pace. 

Where traditional methods can take weeks to recruit, interview, and analyze, this approach can deliver insights in as little as 72 hours 

This shift in pace has meaningful implications for decision-making, enabling teams to: 

  • Test concepts almost in real time 
  • Validate hypotheses as they evolve 
  • Inform strategic decisions when timing matters most 

When speed increases, so does impact. 

A More Seamless Experience for Participants

Flexibility plays a central role. 

Participants can engage on their own time, in the format that feels most natural to them, whether written or spoken. This creates space for more spontaneous input, less influenced by the structure of a traditional interview. 

A person answering questions as part of a market survey during their commute

AI as an Enabler, Humans as the Anchor

Technology accelerates, but even as AI enables scale and streamlines execution, our experts remain at the core and shape every critical step: 

  • Designing the interview guides 
  • Framing the exploration 
  • Interpreting the findings 

AI enhances the process, but it’s our experts who bring structure, context, and depth. 

That’s where the real value lies. 

The result isn’t just faster insights, but insights that stay rigorous, reliable, and credible. 

A New Era for AI Qualitative Research

The landscape is shifting. 

Depth is no longer limited by sample size. Today, it’s possible to explore insights both deeply and at scale. 

Qualitative research is becoming: 

  • Faster 
  • Broader 
  • More actionable 

Yet at its core, it remains the same: 

A way to understand people in all their complexity. 

Integrating an AIMI solution is key to helping our clients access results more quickly and support their day-to-day decision-making, while fundamentally rethinking qualitative research.

AIMI combines rich interview insights with the scale of hundreds of conversations, delivering faster, trusted results while giving respondents the flexibility to participate on their own terms,” says Sarah Mottet, Vice President, Transformation and AI. 

At Leger, we use AI with intention to expand access to high-quality insights, while ensuring human expertise continues to guide interpretation and decision-making. 

Interested in what this could look like for your projects? 

Reach out to learn more about our AI-powered qualitative interviews. 

A person answering questions as part of a market survey during their commute

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